City Council Approves $3 Million in Loans to Keep Mulberry Gardens on Track

Riverside approved nearly $3 million in additional funding to keep the Mulberry Gardens affordable senior housing project moving forward.

The City Council unanimously approved a $2,025,365 loan for the senior housing phase at 2520 Mulberry Street, and a $971,108 loan for the family housing phase at 2560 Mulberry Street.

The senior phase was delayed more than three months getting a building permit from the state fire marshal and another ongoing three-month delay tied to firestopping issues found during inspections, according to a staff report.

Mulberry Gardens is expected to include 25 restricted units for seniors at risk of homelessness and nine restricted affordable family units.

The project is already funded through a mix of sources, including the Prohousing Incentive Pilot, state grants and developer funds.

The senior phase is scheduled to get a temporary certificate of occupancy in November 2026, and the family phase is expected to follow in November 2027.

Staff said the money is available from its Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention (HHAP) Round 3 and Permanent Local Housing Allocation funds.

Earlier this month, the city and Riverside County received $20.4 million in HHAP Round 6 funds from the state.

A city report in March showed Riverside has permitted less than 20% of its target of 18,458 new homes for the 2021-2029 cycle. Nearly all approvals have been for above-moderate-income homes, with no new very-low-income housing since 2021 and none for low- or moderate-income levels since 2023.

The city also faced state and community criticism in January, when the City Council rejected $20.1 million in Homekey+ funding that would have converted the Quality Inn on University Avenue into 114 permanent supportive units.